For a little while now I have been advocating a return to medieval Christianity. No, in calling for this I am not seeking to return to the days of the Inquisition, forced baptisms, burning of heretics, and communion once a year. Rather, I suggest that we borrow at least one aspect of Medieval Christianities methods for teaching scripture.
It should come as a surprise to no one that Biblical literacy in the United States has reached pathetically low levels. One need go no farther than the nearest Sunday School (likely empty classrooms) to discover that. Entire organizations and movements have even grown up in recent
years to promote Biblical literacy in a society that now seems far more interested in the latest celebrity feud than it does in the tension between Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey. The most obvious solution, that people read their Bibles, seems unworkable. Sure, many believers who have grown in grace and settled into the pews for quite some time read their Bibles regularly. The sad fact remains, however, that for a majority of Christians daily or even weekly Bible reading is simply not a priority. To make matters worse now that people attend Sunday School and other Church meetings with increasing irregularity the only Biblical teaching they may get will be during worship on Sunday Morning. How then does the Church educate those who will not pick up the Book? By a return to Medieval methods of education, in a day when people were unable to read the Bible.
MY SUGGESTIONS:
1) We must reincorporate art into the life of the Church- During the dark ages the most common method of teaching Biblical truth was through art. Stained class, murals, and mosaics all began as devices intended to communicate fact, truth, or other Biblical teaching. Nowadays the incorporation of art has become most predominant in the area of Children's ministry. A well done mural in the fellowship hall might do much to remind adults of the truths and incidents in scripture. If nothing else it would serve to reinforce the knowledge hopefully
coming from the pulpit.
2) We must observe the Church calender more faithfully- Many protestants, especially within my own denomination, have long rejected a close the adherence to the Church calender. However, Advent, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost, to name the staples of the calender, all serve powerful theological and educational purposes.
3) We should not fear the use of liturgical colors, etc.- The use of color and symbol in worship serves as an educational reinforcement, especially in a visually obsessed society, of Biblical and Theological truth. The liturgical colors can be easily incorporated whether it be a piece of cloth on the altar in a small country church or the colors of the lighting in a suburban mega-church.
4) We must hold fast to expositional preaching of Biblical narratives- Topical preaching definitely has its place, but in a day a vast Biblical illiteracy we must be certain that we take advantage of every opportunity to preach the stories of the Bible in narrative fashion, while underlining the chief spiritual truths that lie within them.
5) Worship itself must be a reenactment of Scripture- Nowhere is this more true than in reference to the life of Christ. From December to April worship should be about reliving and thus bringing to life the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ. The rest of the year should be steeped in the remembrance of his Resurrection and ascension and other Biblical themes. People must learn of the eternal Son from his preexistence, to his first breath as baby Jesus, to his Passion, and especially his resurrection. And, hymns need not be used to do this. True, the occasional hymn is necessary, especially during certain times of the year, but there is also a wealth of praise music that can be used. Of course, no one would ever want the worship of God to take a back seat to education, but edification and thus education are key secondary elements to the glorification of God that need to be found in worship. Drama, etc. should also regularly be incorporated, especially if it reenacts a Biblical situation. Also, don't forget the value of communion and baptism moments as tools to drive home theological and scriptural points.
It should come as a surprise to no one that Biblical literacy in the United States has reached pathetically low levels. One need go no farther than the nearest Sunday School (likely empty classrooms) to discover that. Entire organizations and movements have even grown up in recent
years to promote Biblical literacy in a society that now seems far more interested in the latest celebrity feud than it does in the tension between Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey. The most obvious solution, that people read their Bibles, seems unworkable. Sure, many believers who have grown in grace and settled into the pews for quite some time read their Bibles regularly. The sad fact remains, however, that for a majority of Christians daily or even weekly Bible reading is simply not a priority. To make matters worse now that people attend Sunday School and other Church meetings with increasing irregularity the only Biblical teaching they may get will be during worship on Sunday Morning. How then does the Church educate those who will not pick up the Book? By a return to Medieval methods of education, in a day when people were unable to read the Bible.MY SUGGESTIONS:
1) We must reincorporate art into the life of the Church- During the dark ages the most common method of teaching Biblical truth was through art. Stained class, murals, and mosaics all began as devices intended to communicate fact, truth, or other Biblical teaching. Nowadays the incorporation of art has become most predominant in the area of Children's ministry. A well done mural in the fellowship hall might do much to remind adults of the truths and incidents in scripture. If nothing else it would serve to reinforce the knowledge hopefully
coming from the pulpit.2) We must observe the Church calender more faithfully- Many protestants, especially within my own denomination, have long rejected a close the adherence to the Church calender. However, Advent, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost, to name the staples of the calender, all serve powerful theological and educational purposes.
3) We should not fear the use of liturgical colors, etc.- The use of color and symbol in worship serves as an educational reinforcement, especially in a visually obsessed society, of Biblical and Theological truth. The liturgical colors can be easily incorporated whether it be a piece of cloth on the altar in a small country church or the colors of the lighting in a suburban mega-church.
4) We must hold fast to expositional preaching of Biblical narratives- Topical preaching definitely has its place, but in a day a vast Biblical illiteracy we must be certain that we take advantage of every opportunity to preach the stories of the Bible in narrative fashion, while underlining the chief spiritual truths that lie within them.
5) Worship itself must be a reenactment of Scripture- Nowhere is this more true than in reference to the life of Christ. From December to April worship should be about reliving and thus bringing to life the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ. The rest of the year should be steeped in the remembrance of his Resurrection and ascension and other Biblical themes. People must learn of the eternal Son from his preexistence, to his first breath as baby Jesus, to his Passion, and especially his resurrection. And, hymns need not be used to do this. True, the occasional hymn is necessary, especially during certain times of the year, but there is also a wealth of praise music that can be used. Of course, no one would ever want the worship of God to take a back seat to education, but edification and thus education are key secondary elements to the glorification of God that need to be found in worship. Drama, etc. should also regularly be incorporated, especially if it reenacts a Biblical situation. Also, don't forget the value of communion and baptism moments as tools to drive home theological and scriptural points.
What do you think?
3 comments:
Interesting idea, Glenn. I suspect that many, especially younger people and theology students, will agree with you, though some will balk at the word "Medieval."
You're right in saying that use of the Christian calendar (along with art, for the most part) has been resisted by churches in our tradiiton. However, I think that may be because we traditionally had a strong emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit in our worship.
Given the Holy Spirit's absence from our worship now (I won't bother to defend that, I'll just put it out there), we are left with a bit of a vacuum, and you (and others, including me) are right to add substance to our worshp using the calendar, colors, narrative, etc.
I wonder if there isn't a way to do both, that is, to re-invite the Holy Spirit into our corporate life while adding the balance and structre that come from the use of the calendar etc.
I know this ... if we lose Scripture from our worship too, as we have almost completely done in some churches, we'll be left with very little indeed.
What do you think?
You're not the only one out there! I have found your blog because I have "liturgical color" as one of google news search words! Society is more visual since the onset of MTV, video games, etc., therefore we're doing a diservice not to include the visual as a stronger component in worship. Some researchers believe that as many as 60% of worshipers are visual learners! So don't put your soapbox away too quickly.
Of course, I only used the word "Medieval" to argue for the use of their mehtods in teaching scripture.;)
As far as the use of liturgical color, the church calander, etc, I do genuinely feel that these are methods of inviting the return of the Holy Spirit. I don't at all consider these things an end in and of themselves. Rather, my hope is that they educate, edify, aid in worship, and by doing all of this allow us to experience God in a more complete and powerful way than we have for quite some time.
I appreciate your comment about using scripture in worship too. I simply don't understand why the reading of scripture as worship and within worship has dissapeared on many fronts.
I appreciate the comments. Thanks.
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